reb78 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I need to check my headlight alignment. I dont have time at the moment to go to a garage in working hours, so need to do this manually. How do you do it? I have found a couple of methods mentioned, but not sure if they will all come up with the same result. 1. The procedure in the workshop manual is described about 3/4 down the page here: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic9153.html?view=previous This is using the measurements of height and light centres from the vehicle with the adjustment made with the vehicle 4m from the wall. This seems like setting them up so that the beam does not actually dip as the beam centres are at the same height as the headlight? Is the 4m important here? 2. The following PDF was linked to on this site: http://www.coolbulbs.com/HID-VISUAL-HEADLIGHT-AIMING-PROCEDURE.pdf Is this a generic way of setting the light up on any car? Is this correct for the defender? 3. Chris_M describes the process here in post 12: http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=43831 I cant find the dip percentage on my lights as Chris states - i.e. the only number written on my lights that could apply is 17.5 - this sounds too large given the standard lights are 1.4%. Mine are the Trucklites pictured here - http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=95530&page=2 Is 1.4% actually vehicle specific as oppose to the light bowl?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Or pop into a local mot centre & ask them to adjust & check the setting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Or pop into a local mot centre & ask them to adjust & check the setting I will when I get time Ralph. At the moment though I just need to get it setup manually, so wondered on the preferred methods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I think there might still be a sticker under my bonnet with % dip required... (That may be the Golf though !!) I'll have a look tonight when I get home for you. I typically pull up behind another car on a flat surface (Tesco car park or similar) at about 3 car lengths distant and see if the flat line on the top of the dip beam it hitting the average cars rear window..... Adjust to not blind the average car driver.... I think the main beams on most cars are suppose to be parallel to the ground, so maybe try setting the main beam up parallel with the ground and see how far down the dip beam is after that? Never had any feedback from MOT by using common sense methods... Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 I think there might still be a sticker under my bonnet with % dip required... (That may be the Golf though !!) I'll have a look tonight when I get home for you. I typically pull up behind another car on a flat surface (Tesco car park or similar) at about 3 car lengths distant and see if the flat line on the top of the dip beam it hitting the average cars rear window..... Adjust to not blind the average car driver.... I think the main beams on most cars are suppose to be parallel to the ground, so maybe try setting the main beam up parallel with the ground and see how far down the dip beam is after that? Never had any feedback from MOT by using common sense methods... Neil Now you mention it Neil, i think there may be a sticker on the top of the rad frame. I had missed point 25 on the manual page i linked to - as you point out, the land rover manual needs the setup performed on full beam. That explains the horizontal nature of the beam pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I believe the sticker refers to the headlight dip beam tolerance as mentioned in http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_180.htm Section 1.8 page 4 B. European ‘E’ Beam Headlamp 1. Check that any beam image ‘kick up’ is to the nearside. 2. Check that for headlamps with centres not more than 850mm from the ground the image horizontal cut-off is between the 0.5% and 2% lines; i.e. the red tolerance band. 3. Check that for headlamps with centres more than 850mm from the ground, the image horizontal cut-off is between 1.25% and 2.75% lines; i.e. the blue tolerance band. 4. Check the beam image ‘break point’ is between the 2% and 0% vertical lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pat_pending Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Don't you have a D2? Point that at a wall, put on dip beam and chalk mark the beam centres and cut off. Put the 110 in the same place and adjust to match. That'll get you pretty close to where they should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 It was raining when I got home... As much as I like you Rich, you can wait til it's dry LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 I believe the sticker refers to the headlight dip beam tolerance as mentioned in http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_180.htm Section 1.8 page 4 Setting the beam to 1.4% puts the horizontal line bang in either of the ranges offered for the different height headlights I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 It was raining when I got home... As much as I like you Rich, you can wait til it's dry LOL Haha checked under my bonnet when I left work earlier and there, as you any, was a sticker on there that says 1.4% next to a dipped beam pic. The other half and I went to check her horse just after dusk and we found the flat side of a horse lorry and a few bits of masking tape had it marked out, reversed 10m and set the beam to 14cm below the horizontal. It took a lot of adjustment, more than I thought it would for a simple headlight replacement! Before adjusting, I would say the horizontal beam was 18inches lower than where it should have been! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Don't you have a D2? Point that at a wall, put on dip beam and chalk mark the beam centres and cut off. Put the 110 in the same place and adjust to match. That'll get you pretty close to where they should be. Didn't think about that before. I may just do that at the weekend to double check what I've done tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Freak Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 If you go for a drive and oncoming drivers aren't flashing you... They are probably ok.. (Flashing their lights you filthy minded lot...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need4speed Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 ....Flashing their lights you filthy minded lot...I was once caught behind a coach in a traffic jam on the M6 when 3 girls started flashing their t!ts at the cars behind!!!Boy did I get a great show. Sorry for the thread tangent. As you were......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jode Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 I was once caught behind a coach in a traffic jam on the M6 when 3 girls started flashing their t!ts at the cars behind!!! Boy did I get a great show. Sorry for the thread tangent. As you were......... What else is a poor girl to do when she's with a group of bored mates, sitting in a coach stuck on the M6 in a traffic jam...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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